Cleaning your little one’s teeth and gums is important from birth – but particularly so once you introduce solids.
Dentists actually recommend wiping baby’s gums with a piece of gauze from his very first days of life, in order to remove milk residues. Even before your little one’s teeth emerge, dental care is important – and getting started early helps familiarize your baby with the whole procedure and helps prevent problems later on.
A common misconception among many parents is that caring for baby’s first teeth – the milk teeth – is less important that caring for the permanent teeth that emerge later in childhood. Sadly, this is borne out by the rising number of cases of dental caries in infants being presented to dentists.
So it’s essential to realize that those little teeth your baby has now (or will have soon!) play a vital role in his dental health in later life.
If you’re just getting started with brushing your baby’s teeth, you will probably have a lot of questions, such as…
- Which types of toothpaste are suitable for my baby?
- Which is the best type of toothbrush to use?
- How on earth do I get my baby to open his mouth?
Whilst the best person to speak to will always be your child’s dentist, we do have some tips for you to help you get started, along with some simple steps you can follow to keep your baby’s teeth nice and healthy!
Read more about brushing baby’s teeth here
And if YOU have any tips for making teeth-brushing time a little easier, then please do share them here!